For many LGBTQ+ musicians, songwriting is much more than a creative outlet.
Making music offers a way to parse through complicated feelings around topics like queer relationships and identity. It's empowering and cathartic for LGBTQ+ artists and listeners alike.
Citi has continued to support Music Forward Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Award to help make sure that these important voices are heard. The program, which first launched in June 2021, awards $10,000 grants to 15 rising LGBTQ+ musicians to help support their creativity. This year’s recipients were announced in early October, just in time for LGBTQ+ History Month.
The 2022 winners include Yancyabril, a born-and-raised New Yorker exploring identity through songwriting; Victor Jackson, an Atlanta, GA, native using music to uplift Black queer joy; and Emma Jayne, a Brooklyn-based folk-pop artist and music educator empowering the next generation of LGBTQ+ musicians.
Life and Money by Citi had the opportunity to meet these three 2022 LGBTQ+ Emerging Artists and talk about their process, finding purpose and inspiring others through their work.